What Happiness Hides
by Hidey-Hoodie
Summary: Weiss fully expected Ruby to be more hyperactive than normal. She didn't expect her leader had such a heart-wrenching reason as to why she never wanted to celebrate her birthday ever again for as long as she lived. (Now revised)
1. Happy Birthday?

The last two times this had happened they had exhausting tests in every class. It was likely through sheer dumb luck but Weiss was ever eternally gratefully. This year there was no such luck. It seemed that there was an unspoken rule amongst the teachers at Beacon.

No tests on Friday.

Holding in a groan Weiss woke up slowly, rubbing her palms into her eyes. She was still questioning her sanity at the plans she had made for later that day with Blake's help. The last thing her hyperactive team leader needed was sugar (Yang was actually shuddering when she recounted the horror stories, a sheepish Ruby admitting to not remembering anything). But given the day it was Weiss thought she could make the exception.

After all it wasn't every day one turned seventeen.

Surprisingly Yang had taken no part in planning the surprise party. In fact every time it came up she would leave the room. It could have been Weiss' imagination but she thought she caught pain flashing through her teammate's lilac eyes. Not the pain of getting punched, she grinned and beared that more often than not (because it definitely made her stronger). But it was a deep seated pain that reminded Weiss of the pain on her mother's face before the heiress was subjected the 'training' (ie hell) her father put her through in order to one day take over the business.

Over the last two years Weiss hadn't really opened up about her home life but the two sisters certainly had, Blake joining in whenever she vaguely remembered a peaceful memory (and she didn't have many of those). There wasn't much to share, unless you liked hearing about going to lessons every single moment of your waking life (when she wasn't attending parties and being the good little heiress for her father). She had grudgingly admitted she could sing after being caught humming along to a tune issuing from Ruby's scroll but that was about it.

However seeing the pain in Yang's eyes made Weiss wonder if there was something the sisters weren't sharing. When they talked of home they always talked of Signal and their dad (and Zwei much to Blake's displeasure). Never of a mom. Weiss sighed, wondering why that was. Maybe it had something to do with the two girls having different last names.

The heiress got ready for the day and what was bound to be a more hyperactive than normal Ruby. Last year the tests had really mellowed the girl out, knocking her usual enthusiasm to near Blake anti-social levels. It was the only time the prospect of tests had done so. Usually she would study obsessively, reading way too fast to take anything in properly. It was still a wonder to Weiss how the girl managed to actually pass those tests with flying colors.

Weiss exited her room moments later, fully dressed and wondering if she should take a pre-emptive pain killer with her breakfast. They had been given a new dorm this year, now being upper classmen, that consisted of separate spaces for all the members and a common area where they could sit and talk and watch TV if they wanted (Yang and Ruby had made that into a game station). It was there the whitette found her team leader methodically shooting zombies in one of the games they had.

The dulled look to her silver eyes was not at all what Weiss was expecting for that day. Given the shock of a lifetime Weiss watched as Ruby effortlessly cleared the level that had been giving her trouble and moved onto the next one. It took a full ten minutes, in which Ruby cleared two more maps in some insanely fast way, for Weiss to get over her shock.

"Good morning Ruby," the heiress stated, keeping the surprise out of her voice. Her brow furrowed though as the teen (well adult now) slowly turned her gaze to her partner. The utterly blank look, not one of a misunderstanding but of trying to swallow pain, did not bode well with Weiss. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yah I just didn't sleep well last night," the leader answered. Her voice was gravelly and harsh, like she had spent the night screaming or crying. Weiss frowned, having watched the dolt fall asleep on the couch last night. Yang had put her to bed so it wasn't like she was uncomfortable.

"Are you sure that's all?" Ruby nodded, saving the game as the other two walked out. Yang looked downcast as well but hiding it much better than her sister. Still she wasn't her bubbly self either and from the twitching in her hands it was clear she hadn't gone to the gym that morning. Her semblance acted up to any little hit, be it an accidental shove in the hallway or a punch to the face. Usually she would go to the gym to blow off the extra energy but it didn't seem like she had today.

The two other girls shared a look but said nothing. Silently they agreed that it would be up to them to get their respective partners to talk. Yang and Weiss still had some issues with their clashing personalities but at least they weren't trying to kill each other.

Making their way to the dining room Weiss mentally went over when would be a good time to corner her childish leader. Although right now Ruby was acting far from childish. She almost seemed depressed. Her eyes were downcast, her shoulders slumped, and her feet dragging at the ground. Yup, defiantly depressed. But it was such a rapid turn-about from her normal personality that Weiss had to wonder if the young leader just hid this depression beneath her happy, bubbly, childish self.

_I'll ask later today when we have that study session. Despite being her birthday I will not allow that girl to drop her studies._

**A/N** **So a quick few things. One: I'm holding that Beacon is essentially a college so that 17 is the age of adulthood. That being said two: the drinking age is like 20 or 21 so that's why Junior was like 'wait why is this underage bombshell in my bar asking for a drink.' Three: I'm attempting to make this about two years ahead of cannon so I'm going to try and make it seem believable. I will include some of the canon events like the food fight (cuz that was the most epic way to start a new season) and just going to assume that Roman and Cinder and the rest are finally caught cuz hey, good always wins in the storybook otherwise we the fans get very made. Anywho later.**


	2. Behind the Child - Revised

"Hey Ruby?" The young leader slowly dragged her eyes from the page before her. She hadn't been reading it, more of blankly staring at it, occasionally flipping the page so Weiss didn't get on her case about not reading. Speaking of the heiress her blue eyes were concerned as she looked over at Ruby. She could barely suppress a wince.

"Yah Weiss?" she answered back, voice low and lacking its usual pep. Weiss pursed her lips and closed her books. That got an eyebrow raise from Ruby. Usually nothing short of someone dying got Weiss to stop a study session.

"What's wrong? I had thought you would be more hyperactive than normal today." Now Ruby did flinch. Weiss had struck a nerve, even if she didn't know. Eyes narrowed in concern she pulled the book from Ruby's limp fingers and moved closer. One of the nice things about having a bigger dorm meant they could actually study in their room now.

"Did you ever look up other Huntsmen or Huntresses who were fencers like you?" Weiss blinked in surprise at the question and Ruby bite her lip. She needed to know that one simple answer.

"No. Father gave me books and said I was to learn on my own, to develop my own style." The scythe wielder sighed and nodded. That made things a little more difficult for Ruby but she needed to do this. She needed to say this. Otherwise she may never get the courage again.

"My mom was a Huntress like us. A fencer. Your weapon and hers are scary similar although she was more prone to use the red dust than the ice." Her voice was almost monotone and she was staring off into the distance. Weiss hesitantly reached out and pulled Ruby closer to her. The young leader stiffened at first then relaxed into the embrace. When she spoke there was a noticeable change in her voice. It was thick with tears now. "She was one of the best. I always wanted to be like her. One day she got called away on a mission and never came back."

"Oh Ruby I'm sorry I didn't know." Ruby flinched again then turned to face Weiss. The heiress looked actually sad. It was an odd change but she guessed they all had something to hide.

"You're not insensitive like others. They kept telling me to get over it." Anger flashed briefly through the fencer's eyes. "How could I get over it? She left on my birthday." Now Ruby's voice was bitter and confused. Like she didn't understand how her mom could leave on such an important day. "At least I had my birthday with her. It's the first party I can remember. There was a big cake and a bunch of balloons all over the place. Yang had drawn the number '3' on all of them. Mom left after I fell asleep. A day and two weeks later she was dead."

"And you never celebrated your birthday after that?" Ruby shook her head, tears falling silently. Weiss sighed and pulled her friend close. She had never seen Ruby cry like this, in actual pain. The times Yang destroyed their forces in that stupid and frustrating board game didn't count. Slowly she pulled the other woman to her and started running her fingers through her hair. Ruby accepted the comfort gesture, body shaking with sobs. "I wish I had known before. Blake and I planned a surprise party for you."

"I wasn't depressed enough the last two times this happened?"

"I thought it was because you had to take tests on your birthday." Ruby chuckled weakly, agreeing that it fell in line with her hyperactive front. "And at night when Yang pulled you away I thought you guys had made a video call back home." The leader shook her head.

"No. Dad isn't really functional around this time of year. Mom wasn't the first love he lost. Yang's mom left shortly after she was born." Weiss sucked in a quick breath. It hadn't dawned on her that the two sisters could in fact be half-sisters. They acted very much alike most times and Ruby had gained a few inches of height that put her about Yang's own height. The younger sister hadn't filled out like older however and Weiss was silently grateful for that.

"Those two times you got sick. Is that…" The heiress trailed off, hoping Ruby would catch her drift. The young leader nodded silently and snuggled closer to Weiss. Despite her cold attitude the fencer was just as warm as everyone else. Attitude didn't make for your body temperature.

"I started going numb to it all. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But this year...I just don't even want to be sick on...that day. I just want to curl in a ball and grieve." Weiss pursed her lips again, keeping her motions of petting Ruby's hair calm and gentle. She didn't know it but that simple action was doing wonders for the scythe wielder.

"Tomorrow's Saturday Ruby," the heiress whispered softly. Ruby stiffened and then completely lost it. Her sobs were so strong that Weiss shook with her. The whitette forced down her own tears. She knew what it was like to lose family members but she had never been told she lost them when she was three. It was only years later that she had been let in on that detail.

Soon enough Ruby quieted down, hiccuping and sniffling every now and then. Her tight, desperate grip on Weiss' shirt didn't loosen any little bit though. Weiss shifted a little to give her friend a better position to sleep in. To the heiress it was now painfully clear Ruby shoved all her pain behind her hyperactive front and waited until this day and the day her mom died to let it all out. And that wasn't healthy.

__Now that I know I wonder if she'd act more like she wants when it's just the two of us. She let me do the same. I'll let her know. It should help even just a little.__

"Ru-oh. Hey Weiss. I take it you know now huh?" The whitette turned a tired glare to Yang. The blonde looked away guiltily, trying to hold back her own tears. Weiss sighed. "I know I should have said something earlier when you and Blake were planning everything but I couldn't. I just couldn't."

"It's alright Yang," the fencer interrupted gently. Yang paused, mouth open to babble more excuses. "Perhaps it's better that Ruby told me. Holding it in like she does...its not healthy. I know that from experience." The blonde deflated and flopped into an empty chair. Her hands were still twitching, more intense than that morning. Light blue eyes narrowed slightly.

"You're right. She doesn't like people asking about it though. That's why she acts the way she does."

"I figured as much. I'm hoping now she'll be a little less...false around me though." Yang gave a small, grateful smile.

"Thank you Weiss. Ruby needs someone other than me to be there for her. And she'll return the favor, I know she will. Ruby is a bleeding heart for her friends." The two women shared a chuckle at that. "But it won't exactly be like this. Since coming to Beacon Ruby really has started to heal. I'm not sure why or how but she has. I don't want that taken away from her." Protective big sister Yang was in full effect, although now Weiss wasn't sure if that was the case anymore. It could be that Yang had stepped in as the 'mom' figure in Ruby's life as much as possible.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Weiss answered. Yang gave her another grateful smile, this one bigger than the last one. "What about you though? It could have never been easy for you." Yang flinched and looked down at her twitching hands. The fencer sighed softly.

"I live from day to day remember?" It was a poor attempt at a joke and bitter reminder of when Roman was still running around. Their adventure into the abandoned city had very near ended in disaster, given that Ruby had been taken hostage. Weiss gave the blonde a pointed glare. Yang groaned and rubbed her face. "I've lived most of my life being there for Ruby. It's sort of become my thing. Old habits die hard and all that." The heiress softened her glare.

"You don't have to be strong all the time Yang. Even you need a chance to grieve."

"I know that!" Yang hissed, eyes suddenly red. Weiss stiffened, causing Ruby to frown and whimper in her sleep. The tension that had built suddenly disappeared as the whitette quickly calmed her sleeping leader down, humming softly to help quicken the effect. It also helped Yang calm down. She rubbed her face again. "I know it's not good. But what am I if I'm not the protective big sister?"

"The school's biggest pun maker and current champion at Remnant: The Game," Weiss shot back easily. Yang blinked and then laughed, nodding in agreement. The blonde over used her Nevermore trap card but there was no denying she was skilled at the game. Then Weiss softened her gaze again. "I can't answer your question Yang. But someone out there will see you as someone to comfort and protect rather than take comfort and protection from." The blonde flinched and sighed.

"Maybe. I like to think I do a good job dispelling the notion I need to be comforted though." Weiss made a small disapproving noise in the back of her throat but said nothing more. She had hit enough nerves for the day. Yang stood and stretched before walking over and gently picking Ruby up. "C'mon. I'll get her changed and tucked in then you can comfort her some more. Ruby has a habit of waking up when she senses people leave her presence."

"I'll be quick then." The heiress stood and hurriedly put the books away. Already it was clear Ruby was starting to get upset from not being held by Weiss but it wasn't too bad. Maybe that was because it was Yang holding her now though. Shaking her head the fencer power walked to her room and changed quicker than she ever thought possible.

Since getting their separate rooms Weiss hadn't seen Ruby's room. Hell she hadn't seen any of her teammates. Stepping into her leader's room was another shock. The bed was tucked into the left corner, the dresser beside it acting as a nightstand, leaving the rest of the room open. A desk sat below the window and metal shelves lined the walls. Various weapons parts filled the shelves, all neatly organized and labeled. A few blueprints sat on the desk, rolled up tightly and stacked precariously. The entire room was decked with reds and blacks, giving it an overall almost gloomy atmosphere.

"I'm not even going to ask how she got all these parts or why she even needs them," Weiss muttered as she walked over to the two sisters. Yang chuckled as Ruby relaxed due to the heiress' presence. "I really hope she isn't planning on building another scythe."

"Nah it looks like she's got some sort of small fire-arm going," the blonde answered, lilac eyes briefly scanning the parts that lay on the table. "Don't know what she would use it for. Ruby is a very up close and cutting your head off kind of girl." Weiss smiled and nodded in agreement before hesitating at the foot of the bed. Yang raised an eyebrow. "If you don't get in I'll put you there myself."

"You will not you brute!" Blushing and grumbling Weiss gingerly slid in beside Ruby. The scythe wielder instantly clung to her, prompting a small amused smile from Yang. Another time she would use this as teasing material. Weiss sighed and started running her fingers through the black and red strands of her leader's hair.

"I've never seen her so calm before," Yang mumbled off-handedly. "At least not in her sleep. She's usually twitching and mumbling a little. As long as I was there the nightmares never came on fully though."

"Maybe it's because she shared it with me rather than you already knowing?" Weiss guessed. Yang shrugged and looked away. Then the heiress groaned. "I left my scroll in my room. I've got to tell Blake that there won't be a party."

"I'll do it. Just focus on Ruby right now. Please?" Weiss gaped in shock before collecting herself. She didn't think Yang would ever say please.

"I already planned on it. I just feel we'd have a very frustrated teammate if I left Blake to wait all night." Yang chuckled and nodded. A frustrated Blake ended up with the smell of tuna floating around the dorm for a while. Some girls ate chocolate when they needed some comfort, Blake ate tuna. Lots and lots of tuna. "And then go beat something up Yang. Your twitch is almost like you throwing a punch right now."

"I'd rather I had a living target at this point." She stretched and a few joints popped, causing both women to flinch. "Okay, really wish I had something that would fight back now."

"Professor Port might have some captive Grimm for you. Check in with him." Yang's eyes light up and she nodded her thanks. Then she left, leaving the heiress to tend to the sleeping scythe wielder. Weiss ran her fingers over Ruby's cheeks, wiping away the tears that had recently fallen. "You hid this from me for two years and yet you have no skills at all when it comes to keeping things from Professor Ozpin. You're such a silly little dolt Ruby Rose."

**A/N So I cleaned this up a little and changed a few words. That's it really. Nothing of the original Author's Note is really relevant so yah. This'll be kept short. Ciao! **


	3. Explaining the Situation - Revised

Yang walked with a purpose. If Ruby didn't show up to that party soon it was likely they'd start looking for her and Weiss. Disrupting the two was not an option to Yang. In fact it was very near along the lines of hurting her little sister which was unforgivable no questions asked.

Seeing her walk like that people immediately moved aside. Even the new students, most staring blankly then scrambling when they saw her red tinged eyes. Weiss wasn't kidding when she said that the blonde's twitch was almost like throwing punches now. Thankfully if she swung her arms while she walked that twitch wasn't as noticeable.

__Never thought Weiss would be the one Ruby finally told. Of course now that I think about it Weiss is the only one not to coddle her and try to lessen the impact of things because she's younger than us. If anything she's pushed Ruby harder than ever because she's the team leader. __Yang sighed and shook her head. The heiress probably didn't know just how much she had helped Ruby. Maybe that was the reason Ruby started to heal. She wasn't being coddled and inadvertently reminded that life sucked.

Yang took a deep breath, trying to calm her jittery nerves. All she had to do was tell Blake the party was off, lying in that Ruby wasn't feeling well at all (and she truly wasn't), and then be on her way. However it was a party and she had no doubt their friends were invited. And that meant all of them.

The blonde could certainly understand why Blake started dating Sun. They were both Faunus so neither one was going to get shit on being in a relationship with a human. To some that was worse than being a Faunus. It didn't do anything for the pain though. She liked Blake, a lot, in a way that given the chance would be more than friends. But Yang was used to shoving aside her own feelings and emotions. She was always the strong one, a support pillar for Ruby. It hurt more to shove aside her feelings for Blake however. She could only hope her voice never cracked and the tears never fell when around the couple.

Blanking her mind Yang yanked open the door to the small room Ozpin had let them use. Inside there was a generally cheerful air, Nora being the center of attention easily. Team JNPR didn't even turn to her, trying to get their teammate off the ceiling before she broke something. Neptune was laughing and joking with the members of his own team, Sun having his arms wrapped around Blake's waist. The blonde took another deep breath and strode over, booted feet catching her partner's attention. When the amber gaze landed on her Yang felt her heart twitch painfully.

"What's wrong Yang?" Blake asked, frowning and concern coloring her voice. If she knew of Yang's pain she never let on.

"Ruby isn't feeling so well. You might want to hold the party another day," the blonde answered easily. The lie wasn't one she was unfamiliar with. Ruby's friends from Signal had done the same thing for a few years until she finally told them to just stop. It would do more harm than good.

"Aw! I was going to let her ride an Ursa with me!" Anyone who wasn't on Team JNPR paled at Nora's statement with Ren sighing and rubbing his temples. "And what about all this food?! It'll go to waste!"

"You guys can chow down. Trust me the last thing Ruby needs is sugar." With a mighty cheer the red headed hyperactive nut detached from the ceiling and plummeted toward the cake. The entire group quickly ducked behind anything that could protect them from the incoming mess. A bunch of Huntsmen and Huntresses and they were terrified of the mess Nora could make. Made sense if you knew the girl.

"Is Ruby alright?" Sun asked as resounding splat sounded through the small room. It was followed by Nora's bubbly laughter and a soft groan from Ren. Nora didn't need sugar either.

"She'll be fine. It's just a stomach bug. Weiss is with her now so I'm not too worried." It was well known that Weiss was skilled in dealing with medical conditions. She claimed it was a thing her father thought would be important when it came to being a Huntress but Yang thought otherwise. The heiress' blue eyes would light up every time she was asked to help in the infirmary and she was surprisingly gentle with her patients. Yang usually never trusted anyone to help her when she was sick but she trusted Weiss. She trusted Weiss because Ruby did, almost unconditionally so. There was still one more thing Ruby had yet to tell the whitette but that would come with time. And that was also when Ruby herself realized it too.

"You're trusting the Ice Queen with your sister?" Blake sighed and started correcting her boyfriend's train of thought. Yang stood and stretched, popping a few more joints. She really did need to hit the gym.

"I'll see you back at the dorm Blake," the blonde offered before leaving the room. She didn't want to be around the couple any longer than absolutely necessary. Yang grumbled softly to herself as she made her way through the school. Maybe there would be some hotshot freshman at the gym she could beat the crap out of. Not enough to seriously hurt just enough to knock their ego down a few pegs. She didn't feel like dealing with Port's attempts to hit on her today.

As luck would have it there was an entire freshman team at the gym. They were sparring in pairs without weapons, an interesting concept. Yang watched them for a while before turning her attention to one of the punching bags. Given the idea to try without weapons she pulled off Ember Celica and carefully put the gauntlets to the side. She hadn't hit something without her weapons since she got them. This would be a fun and welcome change.

The first punch was a test punch, to re-familiarize herself with the rough surface of the punching bag. It wasn't meant to be rough but after repeated use it would tear at skin and cause more than one bloodstain on the mat below. Yang grinned to herself, mind going into a careful blank. When she was beating up inanimate objects she didn't have to think. It was her way to escape from the world. Blake did it with her books, Ruby with her weapons, and Weiss...well she wasn't sure how Weiss escaped if she did at all. She might just ignore the pain as best she could.

"Hey Yang! I knew I recognized your insane mane!" Pulled from her thoughts the blonde turned to the sparring ring where the freshman stood. They were coated with sweat but then again so was she. She steadied the punching bag, a little surprised to see the blood on it. Her aura had protected her from getting broken bones but not broken skin it seemed.

The freshmen that called her jumped over the ropes and walked over. As he drew nearer Yang recognized him as one of Ruby's old friends from Signal. She couldn't recall his name however which meant Ruby really wasn't close to him. The boy tossed her a roll of bandages with a slight grin. Oh now she remembered him. He liked to hit on her. She hoped in the two years they hadn't seen each other he matured somewhat.

"Bandage yourself up then come fight me and my team. It'll be more satisfactory than a punching bag. Mary doesn't like getting blood on her clothes though." Yang snorted and wrapped her hands up. The only girl on the team was turning red with embarrassment as the boy walked back over.

The blonde flipped over the ropes with ease and landed in a standard fighting position. With her bandaged hands and missing her jacket Yang thought she looked like a boxer. The sport was merely a way for retired Huntsmen and Huntresses to blow off steam but many people liked to place bets on it. Yang even based her fighting style on the way the retired heroes fought so that way when she got to that point she would have an edge.

The young team charged as a unit, spreading slightly to box her in. Yang grinned and blanked her mind again. Yah, this would be way better than a punching bag.

In hindsight she really shouldn't have blanked her mind. Yang usually had a no-hold-back policy when she got to that state. It was only the timely intervention of Professor Goodwitch that had saved the freshman team from being seriously injured. The blonde looked guilty for the damage she had caused but it wasn't too bad. If anything it might have made the freshmen realize just how far they had to go if they couldn't even defeat a single upperclassman. Of course that could be accounted to Yang's fighting style that worked with or without her weapons. Her teammates' not so much.

Feeling much calmer now Yang trudged back to her team's dorm. It was getting late and Blake would be back by now. She could explain to her friend why the party would be postponed indefinitely and should never be brought up again. She would also explain that Weiss knew now too so if the party __was __ever brought up again the heiress had Yang's full permission to politely tell that person to shut the hell up.

Blake was sitting on the couch reading a book when Yang walked in. The blonde nodded once to her friend then went to take a shower. She hadn't put her jacket or her weapons back on because of the heavy sweat that coated her body. She refused to acknowledge that some of the sweat on her face was actually tears.

Once in the shower Yang further relaxed. The hot water did wonders for her sore muscles and wiped away the sweat. It stung her cuts a little but she knew they would be mostly healed by tomorrow.

"So you want to explain the real situation to me?" Blake's voice suddenly sounded out. The blonde jumped and clutched at her chest, knowing her actions were hidden by the black shower curtain they had (they had all agreed to it, given they had to share a bathroom and sometimes you just really had to go). Blake wouldn't be able to hear the way Yang's heart missed a beat over the running water.

"Getting a little curious Blake?" Yang teased effortlessly. It was always a tease, a joke, a pun...anything that could be comical that didn't make her seem like an idiot the way Jaune usually did when they all first came to Beacon.

"About the well being of my friends? Of course." She could hear the ADG (Amber Death Glare) Blake was giving her.

"Ruby really isn't feeling well Blake and Weiss really is with her."

"I know. I checked on them when I got back, to see if Weiss needed help or something. They're both asleep but Ruby looks pained." Yang leaned against the wall and stared at the shower curtain. She could feel the tears falling but didn't let her voice show that. She could feel the way her body trembled ever so slightly in pain and knew that it was hidden under the running water. "What's really going on Yang?" Blake's voice had softened to a more caring tone that was rare to hear. The blonde sighed heavily and rubbed her face.

"I told you Summer was killed on a mission," she stated, not trying to hide the weariness in her voice. She heard Blake gasp softly. "I didn't tell you she left on the day Ruby turned three."

"Oh Dust I wish I had known before we planned the party," the cat Faunus mumbled after some time. Yang grimaced and stepped back under the spray of the water.

"Ruby hides it. She doesn't want people asking about it. So there's no way you would have ever known. Weiss knows now too. Ruby told her herself which is a big step for her. Usually she can't even speak on her birthday. And on the day Summer died."

"When did she die Yang?"

"Two weeks from tomorrow. Ruby might make a trip to Summer's grave but I don't know. She might just get sick again."

"That's horrible. I had no idea." Yang felt her face fall as she stared at the wall. She remembered the horrible time when Ruby was in a state of depression. She hadn't given up the black coloring to her clothes and it worried the blonde a little.

"I know. Just don't let Ruby know you know. She's touchy about who knows exactly what happened and what she hides beneath her bubbly appearance."

"But I'm her friend!"

"It's not my choice Blake. It's Ruby's. There's a reason for everything she does, as crazy as that reason may be. Without those reasons...I don't even want to think about it." Yang sighed as she heard Blake leave the bathroom. There was always a reason with her sister but she had learned to stop questioning those reasons years ago. To Ruby they made sense. To anyone else? Well maybe they had to go through something similar to what Ruby went through, from her perspective. Yang's perspective was vastly different from her sister's.

Yang padded her way to Ruby's room and eased the door open a crack. Her eyes adjusted to the gloom quickly and she leaned against the wall with a slight smile on her face.

Weiss had fallen asleep as well, her arms wrapped securely around Ruby. Both wore slightly pained expressions but for her sister Yang knew it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it could be. Ruby's death grip on the heiress had relaxed to a less intense one and she had her ear pressed firmly against Weiss' chest, listening to her heartbeat. It was a habit Yang had gotten the girl started on, calmly saying that listening to a heartbeat was soothing to those in pain. It seemed that Ruby's subconscious knew she liked Weiss but not her conscious. Yang would have to change that soon.

**A/N Only thing of relevance from the original chapter is the call for help on puns. You guys have any send 'em my way please. Through PM if you've got an account. If not well reviews work just as well. Thanks in advance! **


	4. Stepping Down - Revised

_**Two Weeks Later...**_

Ruby rubbed her palms into her eyes as she and Weiss walked to their last class of the day. The day had been painfully slow, allowing her time to think of what tomorrow would bring. Beside her the heiress glared at anyone trying to ask what was wrong. She knew exactly where her friend's thoughts were drifting and bringing that up would only make it worse.

The two entered the room and took their seats besides Blake and Yang. History was now the only class they shared as a team. This year their classes had been divided to work more on partnership. It wasn't uncommon for teams to split into their initial pairs to get a mission done faster and since they were upperclassmen now the school had accommodated to that fact. However history was something they all still went to. Despite his coffee fueled hyperactiveness Oobleck knew what the hell he was doing.

"Right! Today we're going to be taking a break from the political debates about the Great War and talk about a single incident. Now! The anniversary of this incident is tomorrow but since tomorrow is Saturday we will not be in class." The entire team stiffened slightly, Ruby staring wide-eyed at her paper while Yang and Weiss turned a dual glare to the professor. If he noticed he said not a word nor acted like it. The whitette gently took her friend's hand in her's and squeezed it. Ruby squeezed back desperately as Yang grasped her other hand. Blake was busy giving the entire class an ADG as if daring them to make comment.

"Ooo I know!" Nora suddenly exclaimed, jumping out her seat. Her reaction caused most everyone to stare. Usually the woman knew absolutely nothing.

"Very good! And what can you tell me Miss Valkyrie?"

"The Grimm Shoot-Out is called that because of a lack of information. There was one Huntress sent out to deal with a larger than normal pack of Beowolves in the Woods of Eternal Winter and she was killed there. However it's stated that she was killed by a bullet rather than a Grimm attack."

"Correct! Now, there are many theories as to why this is. Can anyone tell me one of those theories?" A few hands were raised and answers were given. None seemed believable. "Those are all the minor theories. The major theory has to do with the family that lived in the area. Can anyone tell me about the Kelling family?" Weiss frowned, thinking the name was familiar but not placing it, as Blake stiffened in shocked anger.

"They're the only family of Faunus to have wings," she answered quietly. Oobleck nodded excitedly and took another gulp of his coffee. "It's also said that they had a dust company to rival the Schnee Dust Company but the company suddenly disappeared 14 years ago."

"Correct! The most popular theory is that members of the Schnee Dust Company went and attacked the Kelling family at their home." Weiss' pencil snapped in her grip. Why had she never heard of this?! "The Huntress that was sent to deal with the Grimm tried to intervene but was killed as a result. Can anyone tell me that Huntress' name?"

Ruby stood and speed walked out of the room. Weiss jolted out of her angered shock and made to follow her leader, not caring about the stares. Yang's grasp on her shoulder stopped her.

"I'll go to her. You stay here and figure out what the hell this theory is and how it deals with your family's company," the blonde muttered, shoving her's and Ruby's stuff into her bag. Then she too walked out of the room. Weiss sat down slowly, trembling slightly in anger. She could understand Yang's plan. Didn't mean she liked it.

"The Huntress' name was Summer Rose," Pyrrha said softly into the thick silence. A silence that only got thicker as the class slowly realized just what they had been talking about. Even Oobleck looked a little put out.

"Professor could you explain the relationship between the two dust companies?" Weiss finally said. It was almost a growl and anyone looking at her could see she was shaking in barely restrained anger. From what they didn't know but Blake gave the woman the most shocked stare of her life.

"You don't know about that?" Blake asked incredulously. The heiress shook her head slowly and tightly. Once more there was a silence. Then one of the freshman spoke up, another Faunus with whiskers twitching from his nose.

"Essentially the Kelling family was the richest Faunus family in all of Remnant. Their fortune could rival even the Schnee family's at its peak. The two families were in the same business venture, that being dust. There seemed to be no difference between the quality of their products either. Many people simply bought from the Kelling Dust Company because they were cheaper and because they were politically neutral in the fight between the Faunus and humans. That didn't go over well with the SDC and a bitter one-sided rivalry was created." Weiss felt her face burning with shame. "There were many attacks on KDC factories and stores. At each attack site there was always a black snowflake engraved into the floor or a wall or even sometimes a dead body." The heiress felt like she was going to be sick with disgust. She knew her father was an arrogant ass but this? This was absolutely horrid. "The Kelling family had a family compound in the Woods of Eternal Winter for not only were they accomplished business members they were one of the best family of Hunters around. It's said that their wings gave them an edge over the Grimm they fought and it was only because of that family that we've never been overrun from the area by Grimm."

"However fourteen years ago there was an attack on the family compound," Blake continued, giving the freshman a break from speaking. "We only ever received broken and static riddled reports of the situation and anyone who was sent to investigate never came back. The most popular theory is that the same members who attacked the stores and factories attacked the compound and killed the family members. However due to the sheer lack of information and not being run over by Grimm the question is raised if all the Kelling family members were killed in the attack."

"Correct both of you," Oobleck said in his more serious tone. Weiss was trying hard not to scream in frustration. "One thing to add is the timing of when the attacks began. Shortly before the attacks began William Schnee, the younger brother to the current head of the Schnee Dust Company, was disowned by the brothers' father for unknown reasons. The most popular reason is that William fell in love with the Kelling family's oldest daughter and had asked for her hand in marriage. After the disownment there was never any record of the younger Schnee ever again and the Kelling family refused to make any comment on the situation."

A heavy, tense silence filled the room. All eyes were on Weiss who sat rigidly in her seat, nails biting into her palm. Looking at her one could easily see she was trying to contain her anger and her aura. Still tendrils of ice were creeping from her person and Blake was wondering what the hell she could do. On one hand she could try to calm the heiress down before she froze everyone over. On the other hand trying to help could only make things worse, given that the black haired woman was a Faunus herself, despite it being a secret.

Then suddenly the bell rang, making everyone jump and scram for the door. Only Blake and Weiss stayed put, the whitette finally moving toward her bag. Curious amber eyes trailed her movements, slightly fearful and slightly concerned. The scroll that was pulled out was not the school issued one but rather the one Weiss' family had given her to keep in contact. At once Blake knew what her teammate was going to do and contemplated leaving.

"You can stay Blake if you'd like," Weiss whispered quietly as the call was placed. The livid anger was clear in her voice and she wasn't forcing a smile like she usually did when contacting her family. "This affects the whole team and it's only right that you hear it as well. Just stay out of sight of the camera." The ninja like woman nodded once and scooted to the edge of the row they were seated on. "You might notice things I won't and if I get too mad to listen you can help explain this to Ruby and Yang. Dust this is just a hell hole of a mess we're in." Blake didn't think she had ever heard Weiss swear.

"You're calling early today Weiss. What happened? Finally had enough of playing pretend?" Winter, in the little conversation she had with the team, was clearly a bitch but only to her older sister. She always had a smug grin and dancing eyes that said 'I'm the loved one, you're just the heir.' More than once Weiss had finished a call to her family only to stare in frustrated pained silence at the ceiling (or rather Ruby's bed hung dangerously above hers).

"Put Father on Winter." Weiss' tone was clipped and sharp, like how she had often spoke to Ruby in the first few months they knew each other. Time and Ruby's brutal honesty had softened her however and now she only got angry for things that warranted the action, like Cardin being a complete and utter ass.

Blake couldn't see the younger Schnee's reaction but there was a brief silence. It was the first time Weiss had spoken like that to a member of her family and with such a tone that it was clear she wasn't trying to force it. If anything she was trying to force staying somewhat calm. Her hands still shook a little out of anger and her aura was still icing things over at a somewhat slow rate.

"He's in a meeting right now. You know he doesn't like to be interrupted during meetings."

"I don't care. Put him on __now.__" Blake stood and quietly walked into the seat somewhat behind Weiss so she could see the reactions. Winter was staring in surprise at her older sister before slowly shaking her head.

"You're crazy. But it's your funeral," she finally said. The call was put on hold for a little bit as Winter went to go get the girls' father. Blake reached down and squeezed Weiss' shoulder. The heiress flashed her a tight but grateful smile and took a deep calming breath.

"It's probably freezing in here now. I never notice these things when I get furious," she muttered, finally taking full control over her aura again. Blake only smiled and shrugged.

"It's understandable this time. I'm honestly surprised you didn't know anything about this." Weiss chuckled darkly and shook her head.

"I'm not. Father tried to hide the less than savory things the company has done from me. Over the last two weeks I've been researching my own family company. I'm disgusted to even call myself a Schnee right now. If this is all true my weekend is going to be spent changing my last name and isolating myself from them." Blake couldn't help it. Her mouth dropped open in shock. She had never thought that Weiss would even consider such a thing.

"This had better be good young lady," a deep, male voice growled. Blake jumped a little as Weiss swung her attention back to the screen. Her glare matched the man's, anger for anger, annoyance for annoyance.

"Oh I do find it good. Tell me Father, who exactly is William Schnee and why did our family have a one-side rivalry with the Kelling family?" The man on the screen was shocked, that much was clear. However that shock quickly became anger.

"My brother was an ignorant, selfish little brat who wanted nothing more than to spit upon the family name. He...he...he __fraternized __with that... that Faunus __thing __and dared to call it love. He deserved what he got." Blake had to control herself. How dare he use such a term when speaking of a member of the Kelling family! They were practically Faunus royalty because of the sheer fact they had a buisness to rival the SDC

"And what did he get Father? Being killed by his own blood?" There was a long thick silence.

"It seems you've been told that little lie," the man finally said. A sudden icy chill washed over the room and Blake shivered.

"__Little lie?! __I fail to see how anything about this is __little! __Members of __your __company have wiped out an entire family and you're telling me this is __little?! __And do pray tell how the rumor of Summer Rose being killed simply because she was trying to __help save __that family by those same members is __little!__"

"I have spoken young lady! This conversation is over!" And with that the call was ended. Weiss stared furiously at her scroll, breathing hard. A faint cracking noise reached Blake's ears before all of a sudden the device was snapped in two. With a scream of anger and frustration Weiss chucked the two pieces at the wall which smashed upon impact. A few seconds of tense silence hung around, like after a bomb had exploded. And metaphorically one had.

"C'mon Blake! Let's go talk to Ozpin about this mess. I'm sure he can help me with becoming someone other than a Schnee," Weiss snarled, standing and swiping up her stuff. The cat Faunus followed her fuming teammate will discreetly messaging Yang about the situation. She wasn't sure if the blonde would read the text right away because she was comforting Ruby but it would ease the curiosity and concern a little.

People scrammed out of the way as the black and white pair of Team RWBY stormed through the halls. Hell even Goodwitch didn't try to reprimand them for their actions. It was like she knew exactly what was going on. Blake picked up that the professor was following them but didn't say anything to Weiss. The he-...former heiress was still too furious to speak and ice was still creeping from her person. Thankfully the ice wasn't strong due to her constant movement and pretty much became a puddle when the woman's heels left it.

Yang and Ruby were waiting for them in Ozpin's office, surprisingly the hell out of Blake. Then she recalled that Yang had mentioned two weeks ago that Ruby might want to visit her mom's grave. It could be that the sisters had been trying to get permission to leave for the weekend to visit the grave.

"Miss Schnee what can I do for you?" Ozpin greeted. A smaller, less intense wave of cold air breezed through the room, catching everyone slightly off guard. Ozpin's calming smile dropped a little and Ruby flinched, thinking Weiss was truly angry at her for leaving the class like that.

"__Don't __call me that. I refuse to acknowledge I am a Schnee at this point," Weiss growled, eyes flashing in anger. The headmaster's smile dropped to a serious frown as the rest of Team RWBY looked on in surprise. Even Goodwitch, who had just entered the room after dealing with some curious freshmen, was surprised. Weiss had certainly grown up from the bitch who had berated a disoriented Ruby on the first day of school.

"So what do you plan to do about that?"

"I am hoping that my changing my last name and declaring myself independent of my family will not change my status as a member in this school."

"Of course not. It's certainly uncommon but not unheard of. But the question to be asked is what your last name will be from this point forward." Weiss' anger suddenly went away and they were left with an almost frightened looking former heiress. Still she had her pride and wasn't going to let this get in her way of leaving behind the life of a lie she lived before.

"Belladona is actually very similar to the name 'Doe' that police use for unidentified bodies," Blake suddenly explained. Now shocked stares swung to her. "I was given the name by another orphan Faunus like myself when I was younger. She told me that one had earn that name however and I think Weiss has. My old friend would agree with me if I were to explain the situation to her." Blake couldn't, as the last she had seen of the older cat Faunus had been her holding off the police to allow Adam and Blake to escape, shortly after the White Fang turned to more violent measures. She was either dead or in jail. Blake was banking on the former.

"Thank you Blake," Weiss finally whispered. There was a lot of respect in the fencer's voice and a slightly graver tone. It was like she understood just what Blake was giving her. It wasn't just a name. It was a whole family of orphans, mostly like all Faunus, until this point. And honestly Weiss didn't feel like she deserved it but one thing they had learned about Blake was that once the cat Faunus made her mind up about something it took something drastic to change her mind. Hell it had taken Yang opening up and revealing her desperate drive to find her own mother just so Blake got some sleep when Roman was running around.

"Well with that matter settled all that's left is to fill out the paperwork," Ozpin said, finalizing the decision. Team RWBY watched him as he pulled something out of his desk drawers. "I'll handle that so when you get back all Miss Belladona needs to do is sign the dotted line. In the meantime you should pull out some warmer clothing and be on your way."

"Wait you're giving us permission to go?" Yang asked, gripping Ruby's shoulder in a supportive way. Weiss' brow furrowed in wonder as she walked over to the young team leader and gently grasped one her limp hands. Ruby's skin was cold to the touch and she barely reacted to the squeeze Weiss gave her fingers. When she did her movements were sluggish and slow.

"Did I stutter Miss Xiao Long?" Goodwitch rolled her eyes at her friend's unamused tone before walking over and taking the airship tickets from him. She passed them to Blake, realizing that the cat Faunus was perhaps the most emotionally stable at the moment. "I just want you back in a reasonable time and for you to call for help if you run into trouble. Other than that you're free to stay as long as needed." For the umpteeth time that day a thick silence followed Team RWBY.

Then Yang finally broke it with a simple motion. It was a nod but not quite a nod. This was more a bowing of the head, like showing respect. Ozpin gave a small smile and returned the nod with one of the same style. After that the entire team left for their dorm and to pack.

Blake looked at the tickets, not at all surprised by what was on them. A round trip, leave date indefinite along with return, to a small town in the Woods of Eternal Winter. They were going to visit the grave of Summer Rose.

**A/N So again revised. Couple things to note here, one of which I explained later in Taming the Corrupted, that being that I'm referring to the Huntsmen and Huntresses community as Hunters just to make life a little easier. Next is that the whole thing with Blake's last name being given to her is based off the idea she said she was born into the White Fang. It makes sense that she wouldn't know her real last name, at least to me. Lastly the Kelling family is entirely mine. And my OC in the next chapter doesn't have wings but is still a Kelling. Later folks. **


	5. Distraction From the Pain - Revised

Weiss watched her breath hang in the air as the team trudged through the snow. The Woods of Eternal Winter was a cold and frigid place crawling with Grimm. Already they had encountered an entire pack but only Ruby had engaged. It was almost terrifying the skill and precision she killed the Grimm with and bitterly reminded Weiss of when the Grimm had invaded the city during their first year at Beacon. After that hell everything the school had thrown at them seemed like a walk in the park.

But this was different. It had taken them the entire night to get here and the minute they had touched down Ruby was walking further north, deeper into the woods. Yang had quietly admitted to having never been to the grave before, saying that Summer was Ruby's mom, not her's. So she had no idea where they were actually going either. This hell was more personal and intensely more deep.

The fencer turned her gaze to her mourning friend. Ruby had drawn up her hood and hadn't spoken since the day before. Her strides were slow but also strong, like she wanted to go to her mother's grave but not at the same time. It took all of Weiss' self control not to speed up a little and link hands with the depressed woman. Yang had made it clear, along with a small painful look from Ruby, that for now the black and red haired woman wanted to be alone in her walk.

Still Yang walked by her side, not there but there at the same time. She was a little bit behind her sister, a quiet support pillar. But her face was troubled and worried. She had only known Ruby to act like this when she was truly depressed and had taken to 'accidentally' cutting herself in practice and when building weapons. The knicks were never too serious but they were too numerous to be purely accidental. Still Yang had never called her sister out on it, just trying to direct her in a better direction. Ruby had become a dork for weapons in the end, something that really truly made her happy. The blonde still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Blake walked along just as quietly as the rest, face half-way buried in her scarf. She hated the cold, both the kind of winter and the kind of the pain her team was in right now. The only good thing that had happened this weekend thus far was Weiss taking the step to remove herself from her own blood family. It still brought a faint smile to the cat Faunus' face. She had wanted to explain how she came to have the name 'Belladona' for a while now but the occasion never really arose. She didn't have to explain anything to Sun for he already knew.

The team trudged on in silence and it was only then that the other three noticed they were headed uphill. Ruby didn't slow or speed up at all, keeping the same steady pace. If Weiss didn't know that her hyperactiveness was just front she would say her leader was being abnormal. Now after two weeks of being exposed to the real Ruby the fencer could honestly say that the young leader was more mature than given credit for. In fact she was more mature than Weiss in ways.

There was absolutely no noise. Not even the wind was howling as they mounted the top of the cliff. Grimm weren't around which was nice and terrifying at the same time. It meant Ruby and Yang could grieve in peace. But it also meant there was someone else here.

Weiss sucked in a quick gasp as Ruby stopped and knelt before the grave. The stone was simple but elegant in that way. Words were carved on it, a name and a saying, but the whitette didn't draw near. It would only be when Ruby called her forward that she would read the grave. This was Ruby's thing to share and according to Yang she was doing more than the blonde had ever thought possible.

Speaking of the blonde she too had walked forward and was kneeling by Ruby's side. Her lilac eyes were brimming with unshed tears that she stubbornly held back. Weiss grimaced slightly. Since she had started comforting Ruby some by allowing her to be her real self when they were alone Yang had started to do the same. The times were rare but Yang had a sad wisdom side to her that spoke of the childhood she had given up so Ruby could live a somewhat happy life after her mom's death.

The only time that Weiss had seen the blonde cry was after Blake had left one night for a date with Sun. Ruby was also out for the day, helping out at a school in Vale by showing kids the dangers of mishandling a weapon (coincidently that had been why she had been building that fire-arm around her birthday. It was lacking the firing pin and a slot to hold the pin, making it safer than most other weapons for kid demonstration). It was then that Weiss had learned of her teammate's feelings for the cat Faunus (and had promised a destroyed Yang to never tell a soul) and how she shoved those feelings aside as best she could so that Blake would be happy. Old habits died hard was the card pulled again before a quiet admission that she had no idea how to start a meaningful relationship that was meant for the parties to be equal and for Yang to not be the big sister.

Blake still had no clue and neither did Ruby. They had no clue how either would react and Yang just wasn't willing to go through that. She didn't want the team torn up because of her.

After that Weiss stopped insulting the blonde so much. She knew now that Yang's over use of comedy was also a front to hide her pain. The two sisters shared that in common. They provided a childish, immature front, so no one would ask what was wrong. One because she had to be there for the other and the other because she hated having the situation being brought up. It was a situation that made Weiss sick and disgusted every time she thought of it.

Especially when she remembered that she had once been part of the group that may or may have not caused so much of that pain.

Weiss pulled herself from her thoughts when she noticed the rose petals floating around. She had long ago figured out that Ruby's rose petals also tied into strong emotions, not just the use of her semblance. It was only recently that the black and red haired woman explained how her semblance came to be. She had wanted to run so fast that she went back in time and beg her mom to not take that mission. To throw a hissy fit about Summer's leaving on her birthday. Anything really to get her mom to not go.

It had been a childish and desperate wish at the time but it was the only thing that could make her run that fast. Ruby had explained it hollowly but also like a desperate weight was being lifted from her shoulders. Even Yang didn't know exactly but the blonde could have guessed. Some semblances were a born ability. Others were caused by intense situations. And yet, even more were just learned, allowing for someone to possess more than one ability.

So when Ruby reached out for Weiss' hand the former heiress wasted no time in dropping to her knees and threading her fingers through Ruby's. Now she could see the tears that had been streaming down and squeezed her friend's hand. On Ruby's other side Yang had her head bowed and was shaking slightly but she too had a tight grip on Ruby's other hand. Even when she was grieving herself the blonde was still the older sister.

Blake watched the trio for a little while, feeling slightly put out, before turning her attention to the area around them. She wasn't happy with how silent it was, her instincts screaming something was wrong, something was there, watching them. It could have been Grimm, as the creatures were attracted to negativity, but there was no growling, no snarling, nothing to suggest that. It was like the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Something big and unexpected.

Her ears twitched at a faint noise but after not hearing it again for some time Blake dismissed it as her mind playing tricks on her. She was tense, expecting trouble, so it shouldn't be a surprise that her mind brought out noises of a fight. The other three hadn't reacted at all. If it had been something they were too far away to help. Blake knew her hearing was better than her teammates' given her cat ears.

Weiss frowned as she heard faint gunfire. She pulled her eyes from the words carved into the stone and scanned the area below. Trees, all without leaves, stood in the frigid air. Nothing moved between the blackened trunks though. Had her mind been playing tricks on her? The whitette turned her attention to her te-well she figured sister could be an apt term now. Blake had one hand on her weapon and was also looking around with slightly narrowed eyes. A glance to the side told Weiss that Yang had also heard the noise and was trying to clear her vision of tears. Only Ruby seemed to have not noticed.

They all noticed when a sudden loud gunshot rang out and a bullet ricocheted off the gravestone.

Instantly the team was up, weapons drawn, even Ruby. The look on her face scared Weiss a little though. It was like she was seriously contemplating giving the idiot who had fired the shot a very slow and painful death. The whitette had only ever seen that look on the die hard Faunus haters and could only imagine that many of the White Fang members had the same expression beneath their Grimm like masks.

More shots rang out. This time they were able to pinpoint that they were coming from the left. No bullets flew by however. Growling softly with pain Ruby hefted her weapon over her shoulder and marched into the woods. She looked like an agent of death itself with her hood drawn and scythe formed. Quietly the rest of the team followed, not wanting to interfere with the hell their leader wanted to bring.

After all shooting her mom's gravestone was beyond a sin to Ruby. There was no forgiveness for that. Only death.

A figure suddenly appeared, looking behind them and not toward the team. The black and red haired woman huffed and brought around her weapon. The figure carried a sword however, not a gun, so Ruby only knocked them a good one upside the head with the handle of her scythe. The person yelped and staggered away, right into Yang who put them into a headlock with ease.

Before anything could be said more figures came from the trees. They wore all black and carried dust powered guns. Standard, similar armor protected them, more than one having some form of slash on the armor, from Grimm claws to a blade. And on the right shoulder of each was a white snowflake.

Weiss snarled and froze them over. Ruby ran them through with her scythe. Blake was checking the cut on their prison's head. It was already healing at a rapid pace, much faster than aura could heal. She frowned and grabbed the person's chin.

A single eye stared blearily back at her. It was the same light blue as Weiss' but held a more desperate light to it. Black cloth covered the right eye, the very tip of a scar peeking underneath. Matted hair, so dirty it was gray, hung into that single eye that was slowly starting to focus on her. Blake tightened her grip as the other struggled, legs kicking out weakly. Her frown deepened when she noticed the set of pointed ears atop the other's head.

Walking over Weiss took in the state their prisoner's clothes were in. The white shirt was little more than rags at this point, torn by bullets and claws, blood stains turning it brown. A pair of what had once been jeans barely covered long legs, also torn and stained. Beneath that clothing was a mess of scars but no cuts or bruises. The scars criss crossed over each other but did not seem to hinder the woman's movement. For it was a woman, one who had little to no chest and wore bandages over what was her chest.

Adorning her body was a series of blood red tattoos that reminded the team of the red markings on Grimm bone armor. The red marks were too symmetrical to be birthmarks. What was on one arm was on the other. Matching marks wrapped around her torso. Oddly enough the scars ran through the tattoos but did not distort them in any way, shape, or form.

Ruby pulled Blake to the side and brought up her scythe again. She tucked it under the captive woman's chin with ease, mindful of her sister's arm. The woman froze, single blue eye staring fearfully into cold silver ones. Once more the world was silent, holding its breath.

"Who the hell are you?"

**A/N Revised this now. Basically nothing that needs to be brought over other than I really don't care what happens in cannon. This is my future AU so I'm just making up shit as I go along. Other than that just a friendly reminder that this story has ended so go read it's sequel Taming the Corrupted if you want to find out what happened. Ciao!**


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